Düsseldorf District Court confirms upholds HARTING claim

Philip Harting, CEO of the HARTING Technology Group said on Monday, “We are delighted that the latest decision by Düsseldorf District Court has upheld our legal step against a serious patent infringement.” The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) confirmed the legality of the contested HARTING patent in May 2019.

Following an opposition by a German competitor against the  HARTING patent, the DPMA upheld the patent with minor limitations but otherwise rejected the opposition. However, the competitor continued to sell the contested products all the same.The preliminary injunction gave HARTING the opportunity to protect its rights ahead of a decision in the main proceedings. Preliminary injunction proceedings are particularly common in cases of patent law.

“We were compelled to act after the competitor failed to respect the decision of the DPMA,” continued Philip Harting. HARTING, therefore, applied for a court decision in summary proceedings. The ruling handed down by Düsseldorf District Court on September 5, 2019, followed a hearing in August earlier this year.

“When it’s a matter of our intellectual property, a vital interest of the HARTING Technology Group, we seek legal assistance throughout the world to protect our rights – whether it’s in China, Europe or Germany,” said Philip Harting. “The ruling of September 5 is a very positive signal for possible further legal proceedings.”

HARTING had already sued the German competitor for infringement against other proprietary rights in the same patent family in October 2018. However, the latest  decision is not yet final and the competitor can appeal against the decision.